Scenic apparatus.



No. 725,509. PATENTED APR. 14, 1903.

' F. W. THOMPSON.

SCENIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 15, 1902.

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No. 725,509. PATENTBD APR,14, 1903.

SGENIG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16,1902.

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No. 725,509. PATENTED A1 3. 14, 1903.

P. W. THOMPSON. SCENIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16. 1902.

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No. 725,509. PATENTED APR; 14, 1903.

F. W.THOMPSON.

SGENIG APPARATUS.

1 APPLICATION FILED NOV .15, 1902.

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iii-ill By A TTORNE rs,

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WILLIAM THOMPSON, OF NEW YORK, 'N. Y.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent no. vaaoa-aa ed April 14,1903.

Application filed November 15,1902. Serial No- 13l,5 21. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, Coney Island, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Scenic Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in scenic apparatus, the object being to provide a device comprising a rocking platform having wings to represent an aerial ship, in connection with scenic effects so arranged as to give to passengers the illusion of gradually ascending and descending through the air.

I will describe a scenic apparatus embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the scenic apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing scene-shifting mechanism. Fig. 6 is a planview of the platform or deck-supporting device employed. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation thereof, and Fig. 8 is a plan thereof with the cap removed.

The device comprises a framework 1 on which is placed a platform or deck 2, and on this deck are seats 3 for passengers; Ar-

ranged on the deck is the representation of a deck-house 4, which is centrally open, the opening being in alinement with an opening or openings through the deck. Extended upward through the openings is a fixedmast'i, which is rigidly held by guys 6, extended'to suitable connections with the building 7, in which the device is placed. A cap 8 has oscil-, lating connection with the upper end of the mast 5, and'from this cap cables or rods 9 extend to connections with various parts of the deck or with the'frameof the apparatus. The cap 8 oscillates on a ball-bearing 10, mounted-on a shaft 11, extended into a boxing 12, .placed in a longitudinal bore -atthe upper end of 'the mast, and the lower end of this shaft 11 rests on an antifriction-ball 13. As the mast 5 is made of wood, it is strengthened at its upper end by bands 14.

Arranged on each side of the deck is a series of wings 15 of substantially triangular form, and the adjacentwings are connected by bagging or sagging'material 16, which may be painted to give atmospheric effect. These wings are mounted to swing on the frame 1, and the center wings have their inwardlyextended stems connected by a bar 17. The pairs of outer Wings'are connected by bars 18, and these bars 18; have flexibleconnections 19 with the bar 17.' These flexible connections may consist of rope or lightwire cables. The stems of't'wo of the outerwings are extended inwardb eyond the bar's'*18 and provided with counterbalanced balls or-weights 20. From the bar 17 arms 21 22 extend inward, and from the arm 2lacable 23jextends downward around a pulley 24, attached to a hanger 25, and thence overa pulley26, secured to the frame1,'thence over 'a'pulley 27 at the opposite side of the frame. From'this pulley the rope extends around a drum 28, then back over the pulley 27 to a pulley 29 on the frame 1, andto connection with the said arm 21. A rope 30 extends around the drum 28,

and thence around apulley 31, attached to the frame, and then-around a pulley 32, at-

tached to a post 33, depending from the frame,

and to the lower'ends of the several posts "like 33 is secured a platform 34, on which the drum 28 is mounted;

By imparting an oscillating rotary motion to the drum 28 it'is obvious that up-and-down motion will be imparted to thewings. At the ends of the series of wings are screens 35, which are suitably painted and are'designed to cut 01f the viewjat the ends of the deck,

or, rather, at the ends of the wings.

A floor or a canvas'below the apparatus is painted to representthe groundand buildings thereon, asiclearly'shown in Fig. 2. Arranged in compartments 36 at the ends of the deck are fans 37 for producing the efiect of wind. Arranged at opposite sides of the building arestationary scenic screens""'38, on which cloud effects or .the like are painted, and inward of each screen 38 is a series of vertically-movable screens 39. These movable screens are variously painted to give the effect of dilferent strata of clouds or the like and are movable one independently of another. From each movable screen a rope 39 extends to winding-drums placed in the upper portion of the building. It maybe here stated that the three inner screens at each side are painted to illustrate the moon and its phases, while the outer one is painted to give earth effects. The three inner screens move at different rates of speed, and to provide for this result I employ a drum of conical or tapered form. The ropes for the inner screens have one or more turns around the drum 40, and connected to the ends are weights 41. From the drums the ropes extend around pulleys suitably placed, and each rope has four branch connections with its screen, as indicated in Fig. 5. The outer movable screens are attached in a similar manner to ropes 42, which extend around a drum 43 and around pulleys suitably placed.

The drums are operated through the medium of a motor 44. From this motor a band 45 extends to a pulley 46 on a shaft 47, and on this shaft are pulleys 48 49. From the pulley 48 a band 50 extends to a connection with a pulley 51, loosely mounted on a shaft 52, and a cross-belt 53 connects the pulley 48 with a pulley 54, loosely mounted on said shaft 52. Arranged between the pulleys 51 and 54 is a pulley 55, rigidly connected to the shaft 52. From the pulley 49 a band 56 extends to a pulley 57, loose on the shaft 52, and also extending from the pulley 49 to a connection with a pulley 58, loose on the shaft, is a crossed belt 59. Arranged between the pulleys 57 58 and secured to the shaft is a pulley 60. The drum 40 is driven from the shaft 52 through the medium of a belt 61, and the drum 43 is driven from said shaft by a belt 62.

By means of the straight belts and the crossed belts it is obvious that the scenic screens may be caused to move in opposite directions to give the effect of ascending or descending. When moving the scenes in one direction, the belts 50 and 56 are to be shifted by ordinary shifting-levers into connection with the pulleys 60. When moving the scenes in the opposite direction, the belts 53 59 are to be moved or shifted into connection with the said fixed pulleys. At the base of the fixed screens 38 electric lights 63 may be placed, and arranged above the deck and carried by suitable framework are electric lamps 64, the globes of the lamps being of difierent colorsfor instance, red and blue-so that by manipulating the switchboard various effects may be given. Other efiiects may be produced by stereopticons 65, arranged below the device, and stereopticons 66, arranged above the same.

When the deck is at rest, it is held or anchored by means of cables 67, attached to the framework and secured to stakes 68. When the apparatus is in operation, these anchorcables obviously must be released from the stakes, and then a rocking motion may be imparted to the deck through the medium of a rope 69, which is manually operated.

In the operation when the deck is at rest passengers will pass thereon over a gangplank 70. Then after the ascension and descent the passengers pass out over a gang-plank 71. Upon loosening the anchorropes rocking motion is to be imparted to the deck, as before mentioned, and at the same time the movable scenic screens are operated as are also the light-producing devices.

To produce a sound simulating the sound of wind, a buzzer 72 is arranged in the building.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a scenic apparatus, a rocking deck, and vertically-movable scene-screens at opposite sides of the deck, substantially as specified.

2. In ascenic apparatus, a rocking deck, fixed scene-screens, and vertically-movable scene-screens at opposite sides of the deck, substantially as specified.

3. In a scenic apparatus, a rocking deck, wings on opposite sides of said deck, means for imparting motion to said wings, and movable scene-screens at opposite sides of the deck, substantially as specified.

4. In a scenic apparatus, a rocking deck, wings on opposite sides of the deck, means for imparting motion thereto, screens extended from the deck at the ends of the series of wings, and movable scene-screens at opposite sides of the deck, substantially as specified.

5. In a scenic apparatus, a rocking deck, movable scene-screens at opposite sides of the deck, wings attached to opposite sides of the deck, means for imparting motion to said wings, screens extended outward from the deck at the ends of the wings, and a mast on which the deck is mounted to rock, substantially as specified.

6. In a scenic apparatus, a deck having an opening, a mast extended upward through said opening, a cap mounted to rock on the upper end of said mast, rod connections be-- tween said cap and the deck and movable scenic devices at opposite sides of the deck, substantially as specified.

7. A scenic apparatus, comprising a deck having an opening, a deck-house thereon, a mast extended through the opening of the deck, and through the deck-house, a bearingball arranged at the upper end of the mast, a cap mounted to rock on said ball, connections between said cap and the deck and movable scenic devices at opposite sides of the deck, substantially as specified.

8. In a scenic apparatus, a deck having an opening, a mast extended through said opening, the said mast having a longitudinal bore at its upper end, a sleeve arranged in said bore, a shaft extended into the sleeve, a ballbearing between the lower end of the shaft and the lower end of the sleeve, a ball-bearing on the upper end of the said shaft, a cap mounted to rock on said last-named ball-bearing, and connections between the cap and the deck, substantially as specified.

9. In a scenic apparatus, a deck mounted to rock, wings on the opposite sides of said deck, means for imparting swinging motion to said wings, scene-screens at opposite sides of the deck, illuminating devices variously arranged relatively to the deck, and the variously-colored lights, substantially as specified.

10. In a scenic apparatus, a rocking deck, wings on opposite sides of said deck, means for imparting motion to the wings, scene-v screens arranged at opposite sides of the deck, and fans or blowers mounted on' the deck near its ends, substantially as specified.

11. In a scenic apparatus, a building, a rocking deck in the building, vertically-movable screens in the building at opposite sides of the deck, winding-drums arranged inthe lowering the saidscreens at difierent rates of speed, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK WILLIAM THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

ELMER' S; DUNDY, JOHN T. EVANS.

presence of 

